Furry Friday beckons on December 18 as Dubai Pet Festival is back

Dubai: This year’s Dubai Pet Festival will be like no other. Being held amid stringent COVID-19 safety protocols, the much-awaited event to be held next Friday (December 18) will expect pet owners to adhere to a new set of rules, besides the usual dos and don’ts.

While pets attending the annual festival have always been subjected to health checks before they enter the venue, this time round, pet owners too will have to undergo a thermal temeprature scan as a COVID-19 safety precautionary measure, said Shree Nair of the organiser PetMe.

To be held at the Al Warsan Birds & Pets Market Grounds from noon till 10 pm, the festival, presented by Hill’s Pet Food, will also expect visitors to wear face masks, maintain adequate social distance and follow other safety protocols.The venue will offer adequate sanitising facilities.

In terms of the activities too, the festival will be a featuring a first - a dog obedience challenge where Dubai’s dog training prowess can be put on show. “Although obedience challenges are common internationally, this is the first time we are having it here. The event will showcase the traning skills of both trainers and pet owners, but the idea is also to raise awareness about the importance of good training. Pet owners walking their dogs on the street, for example, must know how to handle their pets to avoid accidents or creating a nuisance,” said Nair.

The best trainer and the best trained dog will be awarded with trophies and other prizes. There will be demonstrations by dog training experts, besides a grand demonstration by the Dubai Police K9 Dog Squad.

Other highlights include championship dog shows, a cat beauty contest, dog agility courses, health and safety talks, kids and pets fancy dress contests and a petting farm.

The festival is free to attend. Multiple food trucks and vendor stalls will be on site for dining and shopping, said Nair.

He said an indoor cat show area will feature competitions and demonstrations exclusively for felines. “Kids can keep busy in a large play area wand learn to interact with pets safely and carefully. 

With the Dubai Pet Festival being pegged as an educational and entertaining animal fair, Swarup Dey of Hill’s Pet Food said, “We’ve planned fun interactive stations, educational talks and demonstrations for the day. This event is to celebrate that special bond bringing pet parents more moments of overwhelming happiness with their paw family. It is the ultimate day out for pet lovers, owners and families.” Contest and other participants also stand to win Dh20,000 worth of Hill’s Pet food, he added.